Downey man arrested in serial killings of sex workers in Mexico

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A Downey man described as a suspected serial killer who targeted sex workers in Mexico has been arrested in Southern California, authorities say.

Mexican authorities are expected to seek extradition of suspect Bryant Rivera, 30, an American citizen who is believed to be responsible for the deaths of three sex workers in Tijuana.

The women were found dead in hotel rooms in 2022.

An arrest warrant outlines details in one of the murders: The victim, a known sex worker, was found dead of strangulation in a hotel next to the Hong Kong gentlemen's club on Jan. 25, 2022 after allegedly checking into a room the night before with a suspect identified as Rivera.

Mexican authorities have compared the murders to those by another notorious serial killer.

"This subject has criminal tendencies associated with violent and psychopathic behavior," Baja California Attorney General Ricardo Iván Carpio Sánchez told reporters last year. "His profile is very similar to someone who became very well-known decades ago: Ted Bundy."

The suspect's sister Brenda told Eyewitness News she finds it hard to believe her brother could have committed these crimes.

"I would've never thought that he would commit a crime of any sort," she said. "He's pretty much a nice guy. He's a reserved, quiet person."

A preliminary hearing was held for Rivera on Thursday at a federal courthouse in Los Angeles. Another hearing is scheduled for July 10. He remains in custody while Mexico files its expected extradition request.